O’Neil save the day for Hingham

Scituate High School was knocking on the door of victory, only to have it slammed shut by host Hingham.

It all came down to the last 14 seconds, when Hingham senior lineman Liam O’Neil intercepted a pass inside his own 10-yard line.

That put an end to the Sailors’ bid for a sweep of the two-game season series and sealed the Harbormen’s 10-6 Patriot League (Keenan Division) triumph on Thanksgiving Day.

“Give the seniors credit,” first-year Scituate football coach Herb Devine said. “They battled back, down, 10-0, at halftime. The kids fought back, came back, did everything they could to take that game. My heart feels for them. They did a great job.”

Hingham (6-5 overall, 2-3 league) built its 10-point lead on a 27-yard field goal by junior Jake Quinn with 1:33 left in the first quarter, and a 61-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to junior Keith Caruso with 4:21 to go in the second quarter. Quinn kicked the extra point.

Scituate (7-4, 3-2) scored with 9:09 left in the fourth quarter when senior and Sailors game MVP Marty Noenickx ripped off a 61-yard TD of his own, breaking several tackles coming out of the backfield before heading for daylight. That was set up three plays earlier when senior Jordan Barry recovered a fumble on the Sailors’ 33. The rush for two points failed and it would remain 10-6.

Senior Brian Spillane gave Scituate its one last gasp when he recovered a Hingham fumble, setting the Sailors up with a goal-to-go from the 6 and 1:44 on the clock. Two running plays got Scituate no closer than the 3 before O’Neil’s interception of a Dean Kennedy pass clinched it for Hingham.

Scituate had beaten Hingham, 28-14, on Oct. 10.

“The kids stepped up and made some plays at the end,” veteran Hingham coach Paul Killinger said. “Pat Creahan (senior running back/linebacker and his team’s game MVP) was outstanding. So was Liam O’Neil. Liam is going into the hospital Friday to have two infected wisdom teeth removed and hadn’t practiced since our last game. He sucked it up and played every down except two. It was a gutsy effort.”

Creahan gained 20 yards on 8 carries and caught a 12-yard pass in addition to his work on ‘D’ in the game dominated by defense.

Killinger also cited junior Rob Maguire and seniors K.C. Murphy, Kurt Cawley and Oisin O’Donnelly for their defensive heroics, along with Creahan and O’Neil. Said the coach, “They played super all year and they’re the ones who pulled it off today.”

“Paul McInerney was playing literally with one arm strapped in, and he made about 13 tackles,” Scituate’s Devine said of his senior running back/middle linebacker. “He separated his left shoulder in Game 4, and he just kept playing. As a coach, I’ve never had a kid who, regardless of an injury, was just absolutely putting team first. Guys like him I love.”

Devine also praised the defensive play of Barry, George “Gidge” Russo, Rob Carlezon and Brendan Perkins.

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